


sharing heart and soul (sharing blood and bones)

by emergencyquad



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-09-27 20:37:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10048163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emergencyquad/pseuds/emergencyquad
Summary: Yuzuru was terrified of Toronto and its rapid English that flew straight past his head and threatened to clog up his throat with frustrated tears, but he wasn't scared of Javier Fernandez with his warm hands and eyes that threatened to melt the frozen solid ice.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is probably (100%) a mess. but I couldn't stop thinking about writing yuzuvier (especially after that javi documentary.... you know the one) so here you go guys. 
> 
> special thanks to @jungkoolaid for dealing with me crying and screaming while writing this even though she doesnt care about figure skating at all <3 im thankful for ya bitchy :,)

Yuzuru Hanyu changed in 2011. He still couldn’t tell if this change was for the better or worse, but somewhere between his heart and lungs and ribs something had shifted. 

That's how we live our lives. No matter how deep and fatal the loss, no matter how important the thing that's stolen from us - that's snatched right out of our hands - even if we are left completely changed, with only the outer layer of skin from before, we continue to play out our lives this way, in silence. We draw ever nearer to the end of our allotted span of time, bidding it farewell as it trails off behind. Repeating, often adroitly, the endless deeds of the everyday. Leaving behind a feeling of immeasurable emptiness.

Yuzuru wouldn’t say he was empty - but just that he looked at the world with a different pair of pupils, he breathed in and out air that was borrowed. The ice he skated on was precious and alive. Skating was now a living, breathing entity for Yuzuru. It coursed through his body, each jump and spin reaching every neuron in his body and setting him on fire. He often felt that he didn’t deserve this privilege, this privilege of flying through the air and dreaming of the impossible, while leaving behind the rest of his town in a sea of rubble. 

In dreams you don't need to make any distinctions between things. Not at all. Boundaries don't exist. So in dreams there are hardly ever collisions. Even if there are, they don't hurt. Reality is different. Reality bites. Reality, reality. 

Yuzuru understood reality more than anyone else. He felt the bite of reality when the roof of the only rink he’d ever known caved in and he felt it when his elbows scraped the ice and he felt it in the ache that seemed to reach down to the very marrow of his bones after a particularly grueling practice. 

Of course it was painful, and there were times when, emotionally, Yuzuru just wanted to chuck it all. But pain seems to be a precondition for this kind of sport. If pain weren't involved, who in the world would ever go to the trouble of landing a quad jump and pushing for the impossible, which demands such an investment of time and energy? 

It's precisely because of the pain, precisely because Yuzuru wants to overcome that pain, that he can get the feeling through this process of really being alive - or at least a partial sense of it. The smooth glide of skates across ice. The sizzling crack that comes with the landing of a jump he thought was past saving. Even just the simple act of lacing up his skates. 

He was determined and hungry; boundaries don’t exist if you burn them down in flames, or if you jump so high that you fly over them. Yuzuru wanted to win. For his mother, for Sendai, for Japan, and for every grain of rice he ate and drop of water he drank. It wasn’t about himself anymore, not after the disaster. 

And in order to win Yuzuru had to fly across the whole world, across seas and continents, because this boundary wasn’t the type that could be burned. 

He was scared, terrified even, but he thrusted himself into Toronto and did so many triple axels on the beautiful ice at the cricket club that no one could even notice the fear lodged in his eyes and freezing up his insides. No one but a certain curly haired Spanish boy that had a permanent warm smile plastered on his face. He managed to calm Yuzuru’s nerves that were fraying at the ends and threatening to turn to ash with his bad jokes that never failed to make the Japanese teen laugh.

Everything about Javier Fernandez was warm, despite spending most of his time on a frozen sheet of ice, and half of that time falling onto said frozen sheet of ice. 

Javier instigated another change within Yuzuru, one that he couldn’t see until years later when he looked in the mirror and saw someone he couldn’t recognize. But for some insane reason, Yuzuru knew that this change was for the better. 

-

Yuzuru was terrified of Toronto and its rapid English that flew straight past his head and threatened to clog up his throat with frustrated tears, but he wasn't scared of Javier Fernandez with his warm hands and eyes that threatened to melt the frozen solid ice.

-

“You fall on face. Jump bad.” Were the first real words Yuzuru ever spoke to Javier, looming over Javier’s body spread out on the ice, with a serious look pasted on his face. Anger flashed in Javier’s eyes until he saw the hand Yuzuru reached out to help him up. He laughed, and Yuzuru could almost see the warmth radiating from the older boy’s body as it shook with laughter. 

Javier hauled himself up, almost dragging the gangly teen to the ice with him along the way, “Don’t act like I didn’t see you wipe out on that quad salchow just now, kid.” 

“I no kid.” The pout on Yuzuru’s face begged to differ. The bowl cut really didn’t help his case either. “I’m Yuzuru Hanyu from Japan. Nice to meet you.” 

“I know.” Javier was still laughing, “I’ve seen you around. The axels are kind of hard to miss, you know.” 

And Javier had seen him around, after all. Everyone had. It was hard to miss him putting his whole heart, blood, and guts onto that ice in Nice that still haunted Javier some nights. It probably still haunted Yuzuru too, in some ways. That fall in his step sequence probably replayed over and over behind the lids of his eyes until it was permanently tattooed onto the skin. 

“I see you around, too.” Yuzuru moved his arms out to each side of his body as dramatically as possible, “Quad salchow huge. I like.” 

The look on Yuzuru’s face was one of complete amazement, none of the jealousy or scrutiny that Javier had often seen on the faces of some of his other competitors. He was genuine and pure, his love for the ice was so apparent that it was hard to feel anything but camaraderie and respect for the gangly teen. 

Javier reached a hand forward to ruffle the boy's hair, too quickly for the other to dodge it like he so adamantly tried to, “Thanks, kid.” 

Yuzuru pouted again, even more severely this time, but the warmth of Javier's fingers still lingered in his hair and slowly seeped down into Yuzuru’s chest. 

“I might be kid but I still beat you in World’s.” 

Now it was Javier’s turn to pout as Yuzuru skated away like his life depended on it, Javier chasing after him at top speed. 

And when Yuzuru slides across the ice flat on his back minutes later, Javier offers his hand to help him back up. 

-

Javier wouldn’t say he was attached to Yuzuru, but he was becoming quite attached to Yuzuru. And it seems that everyone could tell besides Javier himself. Brian would have that knowing sparkle in his eyes every time Yuzu would challenge Javi to the third quad battle of the day, or when Yuzuru would point and laugh at him when Javi would fall out of his sit spin or trip in his step sequence. 

He was kind of a bully, but Javi took it, because those suffocating giggles that somehow came out of that tiny body made Javi’s lips twitch into a grin and his hand to automatically aim for the base of Yuzuru’s neck in an attempt to shut him up. Which would inevitably cause another influx of giggles to echo in the icy air of the rink they called home. 

At the same time Yuzu was a bully, he could also be considered Javier’s biggest fan. It was kind of a contradiction since they were technically vying for that same shiny gold medal. 

Yuzuru would explain himself by stating, “I can’t be on podium without Javi. You my second place.” That earned him a smack to the back of the head and a “respect your elders” that held none of the bite that Javier tried so desperately to inject into it. 

Yuzuru would then continue to cheer every time Javi got the timing right for that jump he’d been popping for days, like he didn’t just proclaim him his permanent “second place”. 

Javi couldn’t say he minded the applause, though. 

It was nice, the time they spent on that cricket club ice together. It took a little bit of that pre-olympic tension out of their limbs and brought a sense of calm. A fall on that double toe became a joke instead of nightmare fodder that would haunt them for many sleepless nights. 

It was nice, having each other around. They would chase each other on the ice until they were breathless and getting a scowl from Brian and an exasperated sigh from Tracy. But neither Yuzu nor Javi missed the warmth in their disgruntled coaches eyes when watching the pair laughing like they never quite could without the other present. 

It was nice, having someone that’s reaching for the same seemingly unreachable goal, that’s putting in just as much work, that’s falling just as many times. It lifted them up and brought them together at the same time. 

They were linked through their bruises and tied together by their tears of frustration, anchored onto the ice by a high five or pat on the back that always brought on a smile even on the worst of days. 

-

At one point, Javi stops seeing Yuzuru as just his training mate, and starts seeing him as his closest friend. Somewhere along the way the lost looking boy had edged his way into Javier’s daily routine, shoved in at the oddest of times and at the oddest of angles. Javier couldn’t look at Winnie the Pooh or jump a triple axel without thinking of the teenager. 

He’d also started to look at training in a new light - instead of dreading it and arriving so late that Brian would visibly shake the rink with his angry yells, he came to practice anticipating those huge jumps and equally as huge smiles that the new member of the cricket club produced on the daily.

Javi saw how the boy struggled to get his words out, and he’d instinctively reached out and (forced) invited him every and anywhere. Javier could tell it had helped, because the previously sheltered boy that had seemed to cave into himself when forced to speak in English was now seeking him out on his own, while as before Javi had to basically force any reaction out of him. 

“Are we friends?” Yuzuru asks Javi one day when they are waiting for the bus together. It’s dark out by now since they both stayed after for extra jump practice. Matching bruises stain their hips as proof. 

“What?” Javier questions, furrowing his brows and turning towards Yuzuru who is acting uncharacteristically shy, avoiding eye contact and all. 

“Don’t make repeat. I know you hear.” And now he’s pouting, and Javi can’t help but laugh. Yuzuru pouts some more in response. 

“Of course we are friends, idiot. Stupid, why would I wait for the bus with you if we weren’t?” Javier, of course, has that way of making everything into a joke. Even when Yuzuru has that serious look in his eyes that he usually only has when he takes off for a difficult jump. 

“I just,” Yuzuru hesitates, “You are my only person in Toronto.”

“Brian would be hurt to hear you say that, Yuzu.” 

“You know what I mean! Brian don’t count. Brian not play video games with me or even quad battles. Brian doesn’t help when I get lost on way home. Only you.” 

“Than that makes us friends, obviously.” The light that shines in Yuzuru’s eyes makes something sprout inside of Javier, and the light that emanates from this boy is making it grow so steadily inside him it can almost reach up to his throat and choke him. 

“Best friends?” 

Javier smiles so wide that the hesitation melts away from Yuzuru in waves of relief. 

“Sure.” 

Javier is almost positive the light shining in Yuzuru’s eyes stays with him even after their bus comes, ingrained into the retinas of his eyes and reappearing every time he closes them.

-

Whenever Javier felt like crying, he would instead become angry—at someone else or at himself—which meant that it was rare for him to shed tears. This was one of those times, where the rumbling of emotions would build up and up in the dregs of his stomach and fester. No jump felt right, no spin was fast enough, and all of Javi’s limbs felt too cold and too stiff. His eyes were tinged red, his usual chipper demeanor clouded by some impending doom that was unknown to even him. 

So he lashed out, at everyone and anything. Brian was used to it, Tracy just rolled her eyes and criticized his spins, and Nam avoided him like his life depended on it (which was probably true). 

But Yuzuru, Yuzuru didn’t treat him any differently. He laughed at him and hit him on the shoulder and simply giggled his distinct, sharp giggle that only made Javi more and more angry. 

Everything had been building and building, and it all came down to this. 

When the Pooh tissue box slid across the ice, silence fell upon the cricket club. No one even dared to move. Even Brian was stunned. Not really by Javier’s behaviour itself, but by the look in the Japanese teens eyes that was directed at Javier and Javier only. 

Seeing the heat rolling off Yuzuru’s body in waves made Javi tremble.

“Yuzu-”

“Pick up.” 

“Yuzuru, I’m-” 

“Pick up!” 

Javier picked up the bear, dusting the ice off. He tentatively skated towards Yuzuru trying to be as quiet as possible, as if any loud noise would set him off. He handed the now damp Pooh back to the teen, not meeting his eyes and holding his breath. 

“What wrong with you? You act weird today. You fall every jump and your spins look bad. And now you abuse Pooh. Javi, did girlfriend dump you? There seems to be some stick stuck up your ass and it pissing me off.” Javier wants to say what girlfriend but he assumes that now is not the time. 

Javi wants to know who’s been teaching this kid English, but he has this bad feeling that most of his vocabulary came from him. He makes a mental note to stop swearing in front of him, because the words just don’t sound right coming out of Yuzuru’s mouth.

“No, I just-”

“You just what? Stop having pity party for yourself. Not a fun party, Javi.” 

“Yuzuru, I’m sorry about Pooh, really, please don’t be mad at me.” Javier thinks he hears Nam say something about a whip somewhere in the background, “I’ll buy you ice cream.” Nam muffles his snort but fails miserably. Javi would glare at him if he wasn’t so afraid to move. 

Yuzuru falters at the mention of ice cream, but eventually his inner pride seems to win the battle and he scoffs and skates away, purposely kicking up ice that reaches all the way up to Javier’s shocked face. 

“Nice job, Javi, I don’t think he’s mad at all.” 

“Frick off, Nam.” But the anger in Javier’s voice is gone and his gaze remains attached to Yuzuru, the Spanish skater still too afraid to move. 

Yuzuru seems to take pity on him by the end of practice. He’s waiting for him when he gets done changing, already all bundled up in his over-the-top Toronto winter gear, earmuffs and all. 

“I want my ice cream.” Or maybe he just really wants that free ice cream Javi offered earlier. Javi just nods his head. “Really, what was wrong earlier?” 

Javier hesitates, “I don’t know.” 

Yuzuru glares at him. “Okay, okay. Honestly, Courtney broke up with me. It didn’t really come as a surprise to me, but it just made me think.” 

“Think what?” Yuzuru is always like this with Javier, patient and attentive like his mundane problems are the most important thing in the world. 

“You know what girls are like. They turn twenty or twenty-one and all of a sudden they start having these concrete ideas. They get super realistic. And when that happens, everything that seemed so sweet and lovable about them begins to look ordinary and depressing.” Here he is once again on another tangent, words coming out so fast and honest that it sends a chill down Javier’s spine. 

But Yuzuru is used to it, and there is no judgement clouding his eyes when Javi lifts his gaze to meet them. 

Yuzuru puts one gentle hand on his shoulder, and the chill evaporates. He speaks in that soft voice in that very soft Yuzuru way, all understanding and sheepish grin that’s so familiar to Javier that it succeeds in comforting his jaded nerves. 

“Every once in awhile it’s okay to cry, Javi. The scary thing is not being able to do that. Then your feelings build up and harden and die inside. That's when you're in big trouble.” When did Yuzuru grow up, Javier wonders. “I don’t know what girls are like, but I do know what you are like.” 

“What do you know?” 

“I know that you give everything you have to the people you care about. I know that your hands are always warm. I know that you don’t like it when people see your weaknesses, which is why you cover them up with anger.” 

“Why is it that all of a sudden you’re so proficient in English?” 

Yuzuru smiles that Yuzuru smile, the one that bares all his teeth and some of his gums and bites at the lining of Javier’s heart. 

“You want to know what I know about you?” Javier says. 

The younger boy’s eyes look shiny and expectant. “What?” 

“I know that you’re an idiot.” Yuzuru’s smile drops and his foot kicks Javi hard in the shin. 

“Now you buy me whole carton of ice cream.” 

-

Yuzuru always seems to find some way for Javi to buy him ice cream. 

Javier doesn't know why the boy would even want ice cream when it is thirteen degrees below zero and their fingers are numb, but he stopped questioning that months ago. Its Yuzuru, after all, and he's so tiny that Javier figures he needs the insane amount of ice cream to finally start filling out. 

Or at least that's what he uses as an excuse when he leaves his apartment where they are currently on their second run through of Twilight Princess and Yuzu gives him that face and tells him he really would like some mint chocolate chip ice cream right about now. 

He pays for the ice cream and is ready to leave the store when he feels the phone vibrate in his pocket. It’s a message from Yuzuru: actually can u get me moose tracks instead? 

He sighs and dramatically backtracks into the 24 hour convenience store. He grumbles about insensitive, entitled kids on the whole walk back to his apartment, thinking about how he's gonna give Hanyu a piece of his mind when he gets home. 

Those thoughts leave his head the moment said insensitive, entitled kid opens the door, bouncing on the balls of his feet in unfiltered excitement that seems to reach every nerve ending in his tiny little body. 

“Want me to scoop some for you, Yuzu?” 

When did I become so weak, Javier asks himself as he gets two bowls out of the cupboard, putting one back to get a cup instead since he knows Yuzu likes his in a cup for some weird Yuzuru reason. 

He really needs to stop pampering the boy. He needs to learn how to do things for himself, he's at Javi’s enough to know how to get around. 

“Javi, you make me hot chocolate too?” 

“Yes, of course.” 

Javi needs help. 

But later, as Javier runs his fingers through the hair on Yuzuru's head that is currently resting on his thighs, he thinks that he'd buy him ice cream every day on any planet in probably any weather condition, as long as he could have him here on this couch with him. And that's all he really needs. Him on this couch, fingers furiously working the controller to beat the final boss in the game they'd both already played countless times before, legs clad in Javi’s extra pair of plaid pajama pants that are way too baggy on him. 

Hell, he'd probably do a quintuple toe loop if it meant being able to stay like this forever. 

Javi needs help. 

Brian really isn't that much help. When he goes to him for advice the next day, all he says is “good luck” paired with a pat on the shoulder and a knowing smirk that just makes Javi more lost and confused than before. 

All Javi had asked Brian was what he should do if his hypothetical friend liked his other hypothetical really nice and cute friend but didn't know how to say it without ruining their super great hypothetical best-friendship. 

Okay, Javi admits to himself, maybe that was kind of obvious. But Brian knows both of them too well, and he's pretty wise to begin with. 

When he asks David Wilson Javi knows he's reached a new low. 

“Just ask Yuzuru out already,” he sounds exasperated, ”half of the cricket club already assumes you're dating, the other half think you're married.” 

Javi has the audacity to look shocked. 

“But what about Yuzu? What if he doesn't like me back? He's really young, and I don't think he's ever been in any sort of relationship, and-” 

“Javi, that boy looks at you like he looks at his damn tissue box.” Javis heart actually hurts, “He treats you like it too, honestly.” 

Javier doesn't know if he should like the sound of that as much as he does. 

“Look, kid, the only solid advice I can give you is this,” he points a finger at Yuzuru who is at the other side of the rink, in his own little triple axel filled world, “never let fear and stupid pride make you lose someone who's precious to you. It’s happened to me, and it's happened to Brian, too.” 

“I’m just afraid of losing what we already have, you know? He’s finally in a place where I can understand him.” 

Javier thinks back to those times not too long ago when he could only get a few words out of the younger boy, to this morning when Javi literally couldn't get him to shut up. 

But it had taken Javi months of chipping away at that wall that Yuzuru seemed to have wrapped around him when he'd first arrived. He wasn't about to undo all of his hard labor because of his stupid feelings that kept unceasingly running through his veins and poisoning his actions. 

“Then wait for him.” 

So Javier decides to stuff and stuff the emotions into the back of his head, shoved into a file holder in the far corner reading “do not open” in big bold red letters. 

-

Time passes and passes and things change, and somehow years have fled by, and it’s all come to this one moment. The moment they’ve been chasing and bleeding for, the moment that comes only once every 4 years but lasts only a few grueling, gut wrenching minutes. Yuzuru flies in the short program, but crashes in the long. But so does every other one of them, every competitor laced together by their inexplicable want and need to try again. 

Javier barely misses the podium, but he has no regrets. Yuzuru does. 

Javier still looks at Yuzuru and sees that lost kid that barely spoke 5 words of English, but it seems the world doesn’t see him that way. He is now “olympic gold medalist”, the man who beat Patrick Chan when no one else could, before he was Yuzuru Hanyu from Sendai. 

Javier watched Yuzuru grow up, watched him become the amazing skater he is today, but he also watched him claw and fight for it. He watched him fall and fall until the skin on his elbows turned to bloody patches and eventually scabbed over only for him to redo the process all over again. 

Yuzuru pretends not to be overwhelmed, he pretends not to be disappointed when they hand him his gold medal. 

But Javier sees - he always does. 

If there is anything Javier knows about Yuzuru Hanyu, it’s that he’s a perfectionist. Those two falls in the long program, Javi is 100% sure, are replaying in the 19 year old's head and telling him he isn’t good enough, that he doesn’t deserve this.

(Even though Javier thinks that no one else deserves it more, no one else worked as hard, no one else sweat and prayed to a god he didn’t even believe in more than Yuzuru did.)

“Yuzu! Wait up!” Javier grabs onto the now olympic gold medalists arm, the green and pink beads of his costume digging into Javier’s fingers and keeping him grounded. “You did great. Congratulations.” 

Yuzuru shakes his head, that fake smile he uses when the cameras are rolling plastered on his face, and it makes Javier sick to his stomach. There are no cameras here, finally. Thank God the reporters don’t have the guts to follow them all the way into the hotel. 

“I not do great. I don’t,” He pauses and Javier thinks he might even see tears in his eyes, “deserve this. All I want, all I wanted was this. B-But this.... this doesn’t feel real. Right.” 

“Yuzuru, it is real.” Javier pinches him on the arm and he flinches away, scandalized. 

“Why you pinch me?” And there he is, the Yuzuru Javier knows. The Yuzuru whose voice still moves up an octave when he’s irritated. Javi pinches him again, getting rewarded a “Javi, stop!”. Javi beams. 

“To prove that it’s real. Yuzuru, you won. Fair and square. No one can argue that.” 

“But-” Javier pinches him on the cheek this time, effectively shutting him up and producing a scowl that would be much more intimidating if he wasn’t still wearing his jewel encrusted costume that glitters even in the dim lighting of the hotel hallway. With his free hand Javier reaches for the gold medal and lifts it up. 

“Fine, want me to take this? I will, gladly-” 

“No!” Yuzuru screeches, grabbing onto Javier’s wrist so tight it actually hurts. 

“Then stop complaining. At least you have a medal.” 

“I’m not complaining. I’m just… I can’t stop thinking of free program. And everyone keep reminding me of free program, but I just want to forget.” Yuzuru pouts and Javier feels something inside his chest sting. For once he doesn’t have an immediate reply. Yuzuru keeps talking, “I realize, sometime during the night, maybe even before that, that I’m selfish.” 

“Yuzuru, you’re not-” 

“No, let me finish, Javi.” The look in Yuzuru’s eyes shuts Javier up for once, “I left them. I escaped, and here I am now, with the gold medal I always wanted, and all feel is guilt.” 

Javier’s eyes soften, and Yuzuru feels the ice inside him thawing. 

“Yuzu. Look at me. You can’t shoulder all of Sendai on those weak and dainty shoulders you’ve got there. You have an olympic gold medal, you’re officially the best male figure skater in the world, that has to mean something to your people. In fact, I know it means a lot.” 

Yuzuru sniffles, but he doesn’t let a single tear drop, “How do you know?” 

“They follow you everywhere, they make you signs, they make hour long documentaries in your honor. You inspire so many people, Yuzuru. Including me.” 

Yuzu laughs and hits Javi hard on the arm, nuzzling into Javi’s hand that had naturally buried itself in the Japanese skaters neck, “Can I get that recorded? I want as my ringtone.” 

And there he is, the same Yuzuru Hanyu that smashed onto the cricket club ice and into Javier’s heart, as cliche as that sounds. 

“You know what some idiot I know told me once?” 

“What?” 

“That sometimes it’s okay to cry.” 

Yuzuru smiles that wide and very real smile of his, finally letting the tears that were pooling in his eyes fall over the edge and cascade down his cheeks. Javi thinks he’s never seen someone look so beautiful while crying. But maybe he’s a little bit biased. 

When Yuzuru lets himself bury his face into Javi’s neck and wrap his arms around his waist, Javi thinks briefly of that folder shoved into the back of his head titled “do not open” and how it’s been burned in flames by Yuzuru’s tears and smiles and warm breathes that hit the skin on Javier’s neck every time he exhales. 

Javi holds Yuzuru a little bit closer and a little bit tighter.

“Now, come to my hotel room and let’s play videogames so I can say I destroyed the Olympic champion in Mario Kart.” 

“In your dreams, Fernandez.” 

(Yuzuru is right, because Javier only wins 1 out of 5 matches and he’s pretty sure the cheeky gold medalist let him win. But Javi can’t stay mad when Yuzu falls asleep on him, even with the drool coming out of the corner of his mouth and soaking Javier’s t-shirt.) 

-

“Why are you on the ground?” Javier asks as he enters the cricket club breakroom. Yuzuru said he’d be waiting for him here while Javi finished his afternoon practice. 

What Javi wasn’t expecting was to find him on the floor face down in the carpet. 

“The floor just… seems to understand me.” 

Javier is sick of trying to understand Yuzuru, so he guesses he will just let the floor do it for him from now on. Javi kicks an unmoving Yuzu in the thigh and says, “What happened this time? Brian didn’t let you attempt a quad axel?” 

“No, that not what happened,” Yuzuru actually whines, “but I still mad about that.” 

“Then tell me what happened before you suffocate yourself in the carpet. You know how often this floor gets cleaned, by the way?” Javier says, but he still sits cross-legged beside Yuzu’s still unmoving body on said floor. He pats Yuzuru on the back in a manner he hopes is comforting. He figures it works when Yuzuru finally turns around and lays on his back and looks Javi in the eyes, Javi’s hand now resting on his stomach. 

“Do you not want to talk about it?” 

“No, it just stupid…”

“When has that ever stopped you from telling me something before?” 

“You make fun of me if tell you.” 

“I promise I won’t.” 

Yuzuru lets out a long and very dramatic sigh and sits up until he’s eye level with Javier, “My mom is going to be gone for days, which means I am going to be alone, which means that I will probably get lost taking bus to practice, which means that I will be late, which means that Brian yell-” 

“Yuzu, yuzu. Calm down.” Javi’s hand is now somewhere on Yuzuru’s shoulder, “Do you seriously still get lost on the way here? How long have you lived in Toronto now?” 

“I don’t know… years… but bus is hard.” 

Javi couldn’t believe the Olympic champion could look this defeated over taking a bus alone. Javi does remember when Yuzuru would call him and ask for directions those times when his mom wasn’t there to pick him up after practice, and how panicked he sounded over the phone. 

“Just stay over at my place while she’s gone.” Javi shrugs, “We can play that new game you were telling me all about.” 

“But you always push me off bed.” 

“I’ll try not to.” 

Yuzuru pretends to think about it, scrunching his face up and putting a finger to his chin, “Hmm.. I’ll have to ask mom.” 

“Oh stop it, your mom loves me. And aren't you bordering on like 20 by now?” 

“Fine, but you come with me to get stuff from apartment.”

“What, so you don’t get lost?” 

Yuzuru pinches Javi in the arm which then leads to Javier tackling him onto the carpet, both hands reaching for his stomach which Javi knows is his most ticklish spot. Yuzu laughs an unrestrained, uncontrolled laugh that rips through his whole body, legs kicking out in hopeless self defense. 

But Javi is relentless, and he doesn’t stop until they hear a throat clearing near the entrance of the room and there are traces of tears in the corner of the younger boy’s eyes. 

“Do I even want to know why you two are rolling around on the floor?” 

Yuzuru is still laughing, and now so is Javi, and they probably look a mess right now, but Javi can’t help it when he buries his face in Yuzuru’s chest. 

“Javi bully me.” Yuzu’s arms have now wrapped themselves around Javi’s head, effectively pinning him in position (not that Javi would attempt to move away anyway).

“It doesn’t look like you’re very angry about it. You know what, nevermind, just get a room next time. This is my safe space.” Nam moves his arms around, motioning to the couch in the center of the room, “No messing around in here, alright? I’d like to not think about you two in here… doing who knows what while I try and hide from Brian.” 

Yuzuru looks really, genuinely confused, and Javi finally detaches himself from the Japanese skater when he feels Yuzu’s arms loosening. He lets out an obvious fake laugh and says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nam.”

Nam raises his eyebrows and hands in defense. 

“Yeah, I know you guys ‘aren’t dating’ but maybe you should stop acting like it then.”

Nam stomps out, grumbling something about helpless idiots, and Javi just prays that Yuzuru didn’t understand a word of what Nam just said. 

He hopes it means he’s off the hook when Yuzuru finally gets off the floor and holds out a hand to help him up, “Come on, need to go to apartment for my stuff.” 

“Alright, lead the way, your highness.” 

“Don’t call me like that.” 

“What’s that, your highness? Royal prince of Japan? Young master Hanyu?” 

“Shut up or I tell Maia that you bully me.” 

Javi shut up, because Maia treated Yuzuru like her newborn child that needed all the protection in the world, even though, as Javi so often liked to point out, Yuzuru was actually some 6 months older than her. 

(Javi doesn’t let go of Yuzuru’s hand until they reach the bus stop, and when they pass by Nam on the way Javi thinks he sees the boy's eyes actually roll into the back of his head. Yuzu just swings their arms back and forth while humming a completely off-key rendition of the Digimon opening.) 

-

Yuzuru and Javier’s cat have a unique relationship. 

Effie ran away at the sight of Yuzuru and Yuzuru would scoff and pretend like his feelings weren’t hurt. When Effie would sleep on Yuzuru’s side of the bed on the nights he stayed over he would whine until Javier moved her, stating that he couldn’t touch her in fear of getting bitten. 

“Why don’t you just try and pet her, Yuzu?” Javier asks, Effie curled up in his lap and purring. 

“I have! She’s the one who hate me, Javi! I so nice to her and all she does is run away or scratch me with nails.” Yuzuru’s voice moves up an octave like it always does when he’s on the defensive. 

“Oh come on, Effie has never scratched you.” 

“Not while you watching she hasn’t.” Yuzu whispers like he’s afraid Effie will hear. 

“Don’t pretend like you’re nice to her, either. I know you hiss at her when you think I can’t hear you.” Yuzuru avoids all eye contact and huffs, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting guiltily in his seat on Javi’s couch. 

Yuzuru looks at Effie and huffs again even louder this time. 

“Just pet her.” 

Yuzuru reaches out a hesitant hand and places it on the top of Effie’s head, his body completely stiff as if he was defusing a bomb instead of petting a cat. Effie’s purring doesn’t cease, though, in fact Javier thinks she may even start to purr louder as Yuzuru finally starts to move his hand back and forth and even scratches behind her ears. 

“See, she likes you.” 

“That’s only cause you watching. When you not watching she go crazy and hiss and-” 

Yuzuru’s very dramatic tyrant gets cut off when Effie moves from her place in Javier’s lap to settle down in his, searching for Yuzuru’s hand and rubbing against it until he finally gives in and pets her. Javier doesn’t miss the slight smile that graces Yuzuru’s lips.

After that night, Effie has taken quite a liking to Yuzuru. She follows him around and rests on his thighs or shoulder any chance she gets, and Javi feels abandoned. Javier even catches Yuzuru sneaking Effie some of his dinner that Javi worked so tirelessly to cook for him. He wants to yell at Yuzuru but the look of amusement on the younger’s face as Effie takes the piece of chicken right from the palm of his hand is too pure to disrupt. 

Javier swears Effie even starts to pick up some of Yuzuru’s bullying habits. When Yuzuru beats him at yet another match of super smash bros, Javi is sure that Effie points a paw at him and laughs mockingly. 

“I can’t believe you turned my own cat against me.” 

“I don’t know what you talk about.” Yuzuru says, one hand resting on Effie currently lying on his stomach and the other struggling to play his 3DS. “Why, you jealous?” 

Javi huffs, “No, but I seem to remember two days ago when you proclaimed your hate for Effie for twenty very long minutes.” 

Yuzu doesn’t even look away from his 3DS, “I don’t know what you talk about.” 

When Yuzuru falls asleep on Javi’s bed with Effie curled up on his chest, Javier regrets ever forcing them to be friends. 

“Why do you guys keep coming here together?” Nam asks Javier one day when he finally finds Javier without Yuzuru hanging off of him, “Is there something you want to tell me? Like maybe you are dating a certain Japanese figure skater that we both know?” 

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t know any Japanese figure skaters.” 

“C’mon, Fernandez.” Nam says with his hands on his hips and an exasperated tone to his voice. “You can’t blame me for being suspicious. You two are basically attached at the hip, with matching coffees and donuts when you walk in here together every morning.” 

“He’s just staying with me while his mom is out of town.” Javier shrugs and avoids all eye contact, “It’s no big deal.” 

“Javi, be honest with me here.” Nam says in all seriousness, none of the usual joking aura emanating from his body that has now almost surpassed the height of Javi’s own, “Do you like Yuzuru?” 

“I mean, we are friends, of course I like-” 

“Javier c’mon, you know what I mean.” 

Javier gulps and thinks about Yuzuru on his couch curled up with Effie, Yuzuru eating the dinners he cooks, Yuzuru sleeping on his bed like he belonged there, and says, “I might be in love with him.” 

He can’t believe he just said that out loud. He wouldn’t even let himself think those words, let alone admit them to the one person who won’t let him live it down. Before Nam can say anything, Javier turns out of the room and leaves, saying something about how his dog is calling and he really needs to answer it. 

-

Two weeks later finds them all together at yet another ice show in Japan. It doesn’t take long for Nam to employ every member of the international skating union to spy on them after Javier adamantly denied they were in any sort of romantic relationship. 

Yuzuru first finds Patrick Chan hiding in a fake tree by the bench they had been occupying, and then that same day discovers Maia behind a garbage can with her vlogging camera. It takes a lot of Yuzuru’s puppy face to get her not to post it (but Javi guesses she still sends it to Nam moments later). 

Jin Boyang tries to sneak up on them in a full spider-man suit and Javi’s almost at his breaking point. But when he finds Shoma shoved into a locker, he finally decides to confront Nam. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” 

“C’mon Nam, how much are you paying them to spy? Yuzuru got really freaked out when we found Tatsuki with a caution cone on his head crouched behind that dumpster.” 

Nam shrugs, “The only thing I can say is that there might be a bet going on, and the people around here get very passionate about bets.” 

“...A bet?” Javi can admit he’s one of those people. He can still remember the bet on how many sparkles Yuzuru’s next costume would have. Javier won and he still has that crisp $20 bill as a keepsake. 

“Yeah, a bet on how long it will take you and Yuzu to admit that you’re dating. It also counts if evidence is brought to the table.” Now the spying makes sense. 

“Well, we AREN’T dating, so all of you are going to lose a lot of money.” 

“Why was he wearing your shirt in this photo then?” Evgenia says as she emerges from behind a vending machine. 

Javier squints at the photo and realizes when it was from, and before he can stop himself he says, “Oh, Yuzu forgot to bring clothes last time he stayed the night and borrowed my shirt… wait how’d you even get this picture?” 

“Is the bet over? Nam, hand over my money!” When did Misha even get here and did he just come out of that storage closet? 

“What, that doesn't prove anything!” 

Everyone slowly marches away whilst shaking their heads and whispering to each other and glancing at him not very discreetly. 

“Javi, did you find out why everyone follow us?” Yuzuru asks him later that day when they are all getting ready to practice for the group performance. 

He is wearing his usual all black and skin tight training outfit. Javier thinks he should be immune to it by now but he still loses his breath and sanity every time he sees him in it, and it takes Javier a few moments too long to answer because his eyes linger on the strip of skin that is showing between Yuzuru’s shirt and pants. 

“Umm… nope. I didn't.” Javi lies, and he really hopes his voice isn’t trembling, “Maybe they just want your autograph?” 

Yuzuru huffs and looks very suspiciously at him but doesn't say anything else, taking his arm and pulling him to the rink and chatting on and on about everything he needs to show him in Japan during their week and a half stay. When Javi argues that he has been here on multiple occasions, Yuzuru grumbles and says he hasn’t really been here until he has given him the “Hanyu Grand Master Tour”. 

The gala practice is full of not so subtle jokes about him and Yuzuru, and Javi is getting really sick of trying to distract Yuzuru enough for him not to notice. It’s not really a hard thing to do, though, since the boy has an attention span of a 5 year old when the subject isn’t quad jumps or video games. 

“So what are your plans for tonight, Yuzuru?” Misha asks as he skates in between the two of them, and Javi just has a bad feeling about this already. Misha always seems to have some look in his eyes that Javi just can’t help but be suspicious of. Like that one time he asked if he could borrow Javi’s phone to make a call but then hacked his twitter and posted 34 photos of himself - Javi lost a lot of followers that night. 

Javier just hasn’t been able to trust him since. 

“Oh, me and Javi go on date. I show him around favorite spots in the city.” Javi can’t believe he just said that. And to Misha of all people. Javi wonders, yet again, who has been teaching Yuzuru English. Maybe it’s those soap operas he’s been obsessed with lately? 

“No, no, not a date, Yuzu. A date is what people who are dating go on.” 

“We not dating? Why we get dinner and movie together then?” 

Javi fakes another laugh, “We are just hanging out, of course. Like friends!” 

“Yes,” Yuzuru nods, scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion, “we are friends. Friends can’t go on date?” 

“Well, yes, but wait, no-” Javier is stuck, and thankfully he gets saved by the announcement that practice is over. He breathes a sigh of relief yet again at the fact that Yuzuru has the attention span of a 5 year old when the younger boy grabs him by the shirt and pulls him to the locker room, telling him to hurry and change so they can start the “Hanyu Grand Master Tour”.

-

Yuzuru, of course, starts off by bringing him to an ice cream shop. 

“But it not just any ice cream shop.” He says in complete seriousness after Javi complains that they can get ice cream in Toronto, too. 

Javi shuts up and lets the excited boy drag him by the arm into the shop, a skip in his step and a content smile gracing his lips. Yuzu is still wearing his black practice attire with about three Team Japan jackets layered on top of each other, and Javi again wonders why they are getting ice cream in negative-degree-weather. 

He decides to just let it go when he gets a glimpse of Yuzuru’s wide smile that seems to make his whole face scrunch up along with it, nose and eyes crinkling and gums peaking through, and Javi thinks he has never seen something so pure. 

Yuzuru orders their ice cream in rapid Japanese and it seems like Javi is given a cone filled with rainbow colored ice cream in the blink of an eye, but maybe it was because he was staring in amazement at how fast the Japanese skater could talk when speaking in his mother tongue. 

“What is special about Superman ice cream?” Javi asks, “We eat this in Toronto all the time.” 

“Because,” Yuzuru points to the ice cream through the glass window, “it named after me.” 

Javier looks down to where Yuzuru is pointing and can’t even believe what he is seeing. In big and bold letters “Super Hanyu” is written in English on the nameplate next to the rainbow colored frozen treat. 

“Is there seriously an ice cream named after you? Is this real life?” Yuzuru nods his head proudly. “So that’s why this isn’t just any other ice cream shop?” Yuzuru nods again. 

Javier sighs and wonders why he is even surprised once he notices the way the female employees are squealing and even taking out their cell phones to snap pictures of the Japanese skater. Sometimes Javier forgets how famous Yuzuru is. Javi has become so accustomed to the Yuzuru who fights with his cat and taunts him when he beats him in a quad battle or video game, not the Yuzuru who poses for photos and bathes in the attention he gets whenever they travel to Japan. 

The next stop on the Hanyu Grand Master Tour is a book store, which baffles Javi until he notices the very extensive manga section the store harbors. He does remember Yuzuru complaining that he is behind on all of his favorites, so he lets him rush over to the books with a basket and a very pleased smile on his face. 

The store is a small shop that gives off a warm feeling right when one steps inside and sees the books lining every wall with shelves reaching all the way up to the low ceilings. Javier imagines Yuzuru coming here when he was younger and spending all of his allowance on manga and lets a smile tug at his lips. 

Javi wonders around the store and ends up stumbling upon something quite interesting. It’s a book, but not just any book - it has Yuzuru on the cover. When he picks it up and flips through the pages he sees about a hundred pictures of Yuzuru - of him laughing, of him looking so serious he’s slightly scary, of him winning all his gold medals and even some of him falling onto the ice in that very spectacular way he manages to, and Javi just has to have it. 

“What you looking at?” Javier flinches and almost drops the book from his hands, but manages to hide said book behind his back before the other can see it. 

“N-nothing.” 

“What you hiding? Just show me.” 

“No. It’s… too inappropriate for your innocent eyes.” 

Yuzuru scoffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest, “I not innocent.” 

Javier raises his eyebrows, “Really?” 

Yuzuru stomps one foot on the hardwood floor and makes a grab at the book, but Javi dodges it too quickly. But when Yuzu grabs at his sides and starts tickling him, it's over, and the book falls to the floor with a loud clang. 

“This too inappropriate for me to see? My own face?” Yuzuru is laughing so hard that a couple of people around the small shop start to look, “Javi, if you wanted my book you could've just ask. I can give you copy for free.” 

“No thanks, I'll just buy it myself.” He might as well admit defeat at this point. 

“I’ll autograph for you.” 

Javier gets a well deserved weird look when the teenage boy running the cash register checks him out, Yuzuru still laughing behind him in line. 

“Shut up.” Javier says the moment they exit the store, Yuzuru, of course, still laughing. 

“What? I say nothing. I just didn't know you were such big fan.” 

“You didn't know? I am your number one fan. I follow you and watch you skate at every competition.” 

“That's because we in same competitions.” 

Javier shrugs, “I'm still the number one Hanyu fan.” 

Yuzu smiles and gives a thumbs up, “I'll give you personal fanmeeting at my favorite ramen shop. Your treat.” 

When Yuzuru signs the book for him later, Javier doesn't miss the heart paired with the “friend forever” he adds after his signature. 

-

Who knew Shoma Uno was actually the devil incarnate? It doesn't seem that way at first glance, what with the baby face and below average height making one want to put him in a headlock and ruffle his curly hair, but the reality of the situation dawned on Javi the next day at the final ice show practice. Yuzuru was being his normal self, chasing Shoma around and pretty much torturing him, laughing loud enough that he could be heard all the way across the rink. 

Javier thought that Nam was as evil as they come. He really did. 

But that boy was an angel in comparison to Shoma. 

Javier was simply minding his own business, going through the group choreography in his head and practicing a few jumps. He was really excited for this ice show since all the skaters had put in a lot of work to master the difficult choreography, and he really hopes the audience enjoys it. The good thing about performing in Japan is that there is never a lack of applause. He’s pretty sure Yuzuru could fall on every jump and still get an arena in Japan on it’s feet by the end of the program. 

His skating is interrupted by a tap to his shoulder blade, and when he turns around he is met by a small boy in a Team Japan jacket. 

“Javi, will help me with quad toe? I have trouble.” 

Javi has seen Shoma’s quad toe, and it doesn't look like he has any trouble with it, but of course he falls into the trap. Hook, line, and sinker. 

“Yes, of course I can.” He says, and even ruffles his hair. Shoma smirks, and Javi really should've known at this point that his sanity was about to be jeopardized by this 5 foot 2 of pure evil. 

Javi asks Shoma to show him his quad toe a few times before trying to give him tips on how to improve on it, but he fails to notice the looming presence of another Japanese skater clad in the same jacket as his current pupil. 

But everyone else notices, and the rest of the skaters put a sizeable distance between them and Yuzuru, who is looking angrier and angrier by the second. He looks like someone just broke his 3DS or told him that a quad axel was an unreachable dream. 

Shoma falls on his quad toe yet again, and Javi gives him his hand to help him up, and that’s when he notices Yuzuru out of the corner of his eye. 

“Why you bother Javi?” Yuzuru’s icy eyes latch onto Shoma and Javier doesn’t know how he isn’t trembling from being the one with that look directed at him. Yuzuru and Shoma continue to have a rapid exchange in their shared language and it ends with Yuzuru huffing and skating away with his arms crossed over his chest and an angry expression on his face, while Shoma chuckles darkly. 

“Why is he so angry?” 

Shoma smirks again, “He mad I play with his toy.” 

“What? What toy?” Javier looks the shorter skater up and down but still doesn’t see what he could possibly be talking about. 

“I talking about you.” Shoma flicks him on the shoulder, and Javi thinks that he would flick him on the forehead if he could reach it, “You are both big idiot.”

Javier scrunches his eyebrows and says, “I don’t see what you mean.” 

“It mean you both like eachother but too stupid to say anything.” Shoma rolls his eyes, “And Yuzu mad because he jealous you spending time with me. Also he scared that I tell you he like you.” 

“Yuzu likes me?” Javier must be having a hearing problem. 

“Big idiot. You two flirt every hour of day.” Shoma skates away with a huff and Javier thinks he sees him do a perfect quad toe triple toe moments later, but he is too shell shocked to know for sure. 

It takes Javier awhile to find Yuzuru, but when he does he seems to have calmed down enough not to look completely terrifying anymore. Yuzuru is sitting on one of the benches that are set up around the rink and already has his headphones in his ears, bobbing his head slightly while mouthing the words. 

Javier calms his nerves and takes a seat on the bench next to Yuzuru so close that their thighs and shoulders are touching. The other doesn’t even flinch from the contact. Javi thinks he even leans into him slightly. 

After a few minutes Yuzuru finally removes one of his earbuds and looks at him for the first time since he sat down. Javi takes a deep breathe. 

“What are you listening to?” Yuzuru still doesn't say anything but he does give Javi his other earbud and motions for him to take it. Javi does, and he hears a soft song in Japanese playing. It instantly reminds him of Yuzuru - Yuzuru skating with him, laughing at his jokes, leaning on him without hesitation.

“What did Shoma tell to you?” He says this in such a quiet voice that Javier has to lean even closer to be able to hear it through the music. 

“Shoma?” Javi debates telling him or not, “He didn't tell me anything. Just wanted advice on his quad.” 

Yuzuru gives an exaggerated roll of his eyes paired with an anger filled huff, “Shoma don't need help with quads.” 

“Yeah, I have come to that realization.” 

“The realization that Shoma is devil?” 

“Something like that.” 

They continue to listen to Yuzuru's music. The song changes to a more upbeat one that has Yuzuru doing full head bangs that threaten to pull the earbud out of Javi’s ear. Yuzu just laughs at him when Javi complains but eventually settles down and rests his head on the Spanish skaters shoulder. 

Javier wants to bring it up, what Shoma told him earlier, but he really doesn't want to ruin this moment - Yuzuru’s thigh touching his, Yuzuru’s head resting on his shoulder, Yuzuru's warm arm and soft fingers linked with his. 

“Shoma really didn't tell you?” Yuzuru’s voice trembles as he mutters the next part, “That I like you?” Javier must really have a hearing problem after all. 

Javi thinks he might have taken too long to answer when the other boy starts to inch away so he quickly says, “He might have mentioned something. About us. And you. And that you like me and we are both ‘big idiots’” 

“Seems like something Shoma say.” 

“He also said,” Javi gulps, “that we are both too stupid to say we like eachother.” 

“Does that mean you-” 

“Yes.” Javier can't believe he is blushing. He is way too old to be blushing. He wonders how he even got to this point, but when he looks down to see the smile and matching blush on Yuzuru's face he doesn't regret a single thing. 

“Okay.” 

Yuzuru tightens the grip he has on Javi’s fingers and turns his face to hide it in his shoulder and Javi thinks very briefly that maybe Shoma isn't actually so bad after all.


	2. epilogue: we've been making shades of purple out of red and blue.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You like me, right? As in like like me?” Javi will never understand Yuzuru, they have been dating for months and he still feels the need to ask him this question at least once a week. 
> 
> Javier rolls his eyes and bends his neck backwards to look at the other who is standing directly behind the couch, “Oh my god you’re such a four year old, yes I like like you.”
> 
> “Okay, just making sure.” Yuzu grabs both sides of his face between his hands and leans down to place a kiss on his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what has it been??? over a month??? im sorry this took way too long but HERE YA GO, FINALLY. this is literally almost 6k of pure crack i hope everyone is somewhat satisfied. happy easter, Yuzuvier Has Risen.

“So, Shoma I guess this means you won the bet?” Shoma nods his head at Alex’s question and fans himself with the money Nam had just very reluctantly handed him. 

Shoma had just gotten picture proof of Yuzuru and Javier holding hands on a bench looking way too cozy for “best friends”, and the bet had been declared won after he zoomed in onto his fellow member of Team Japan resting his head on Javi’s shoulder. 

No way is he letting any of them know that it was his fault they got together in the first place, Nam might consider that “cheating” but Shoma just considers it getting the inevitable over with. Every single one them was getting sick of those gross looks they gave each other from across the rink, like a pair of star crossed lovers from a Shakespeare play. 

Shoma shudders in disgust just thinking about it. 

And the sad part is that this thing had been going on for _years_ , but Shoma only recently got Yuzu to admit to him that “yes, I might have a thing for some Spanish skater, but I’m not saying who”, but of course, Shoma knew. The way he looked at Javier, who had just landed a perfect quad sal somewhere in the distance, with a light shining in his eyes that he only really had when talking about axels or Johnny Weir kind of gave him away. 

Now, hopefully, Shoma would see less of pining Yuzuru, hopefully less of Yuzuru in general, but that was probably asking for too much. 

Within the next few days, Shoma begins to realize his mistake. 

This is so much worse than the pathetic sight of Yuzuru and Javier at opposite sides of the rink pretending not to stare at eachother, so much worse than the relentless not-even-subtle flirting. Now they just wouldn’t stop _laughing_ and hanging onto each other like they couldn't possibly skate without using the other as a crutch. Not like they were both professional, world title winning figure skaters or anything. 

He wishes he’d never meddled in their business, than he wouldn't have to go through this torture. The money won from the bet wasn't even worth it and was already spent on a new costume for his free skate, along with a few Daisuke magazines that he didn't yet have in his collection.

“Can you guys keep your hands to yourselves for 5 minutes?” Shoma says in Japanese to the pair who keep drifting closer to him on the ice even though he swears he was hiding so well from them. 

“What? What did he say, Yuzu?” Javier asks Yuzuru, who is, of course, clutching onto his arm like he can't _possibly_ skate by himself. 

“He said he wants to take picture with us.” Shoma glares at Yuzuru who just smiles at him innocently like he didn't just translate what he said completely wrong. 

“Oh, of course you can take a picture with us, Shoma!” Javi says while whipping out his phone, “You don't have to be shy about it!” 

“I not shy.” If looks could kill, Javi would be a corpse on the ice. But Javi is Javi, so he just laughs some more and forces him into a selfie and Shoma swears five years have been taken off his life. 

But when Shoma gets the text with the image attached moments later, he hides a smile and hits the “save” button. Nobody has to know that he is actually happy for the disgusting and incredibly annoying couple.

-

“You like me, right? As in like like me?” Javi will never understand Yuzuru, they have been dating for months and he still feels the need to ask him this question at least once a week. 

Javier rolls his eyes and bends his neck backwards to look at the other who is standing directly behind the couch, “Oh my god you’re such a four year old, yes I like like you.”

“Okay, just making sure.” Yuzu grabs both sides of his face between his hands and leans down to place a kiss on his forehead. 

“God, you’re such an idiot.” Yuzuru leaps over the back of the couch and basically lands in his lap, and Javi groans, but doesn’t complain, because the boy has dark bags under his eyes and looks like he needs a nice long 15 hours of sleep. “What are you doing up at 2 am? I thought I told you to go to sleep without me, your mom is going to be so mad if she finds out you aren’t getting any sleep when you stay over here.” 

Yuzuru sighs and wraps his arms weakly around Javi’s neck, “I want cake.” 

“You won’t sleep because you want cake?” Yuzuru doesn’t answer but instead nods his head up and down from it’s place on Javi’s chest. “Hmm, should we bake a cake then?” 

Yuzu looks at him with bright eyes, his chin now digging into Javi’s collar bone, “You have cake mix?” He nods, and before Yuzuru can even ask confirms that he bought ice cream the moment he found out Yuzuru was free for the night, for once. It is rare that they are both in Toronto at the same time, and even more rare that they aren’t both completely exhausted from training. 

Making the cake basically consists of Javi doing everything after Yuzuru tries to crack an egg and ends up getting half of the shell in the batter and the other half all over the front of his t-shirt, which Javi belatedly realizes is actually his favorite Real Madrid jersey. It even had “Fernandez” embroidered on the back, and Javi wonders when Yuzuru even asked to borrow it. Yuzuru never asks anyway, so he really shouldn’t be surprised. 

“Is it ready yet?” Yuzu asks from where he is sitting at the kitchen table. He has now changed into another one of Javi’s t-shirts, this one from an ice show he participated in a few years back. It is way too big on him and manages to cover up the boxers he’s wearing. He really does look tired, the skin under his eyes dark and his hair as messy as it is after a really tough free skate. 

“Yuzu, it’s been in the oven for 2 minutes.” 

“So it not ready?” Javi sighs and decides that it’s not even worth answering. Yuzuru huffs and decides to get up to try and peek into the oven for himself, but Javier intercepts before he can somehow catch himself and Javi’s whole apartment on fire. Knowing Yuzuru, he would somehow find a way. He can’t even wash dishes without shattering a minimum of three of Javi’s mugs. 

Javi grabs Yuzu by the shoulders and guides him to the couch, taking one of the multiple throw blankets he has lying around his living room and tucking him in when it looks like he is trying to struggle away to probably create some sort of chaos in the kitchen. 

“Why can’t I look at cake? I just want to look at it.” Yuzu pouts, and Javi almost breaks, but he has at least learned how not to fall for his boyfriend’s puppy face in the months they’ve been dating. He is very proud of himself for this, and gives himself a mental pat on the back for not being as weak as he used to be. 

“Just wait here, it will be done in 20 more minutes, and then you can look at it, I promise.” Yuzuru isn’t satisfied, “I will even let you help me frost it.” He is so going to regret this later, but the smile on Yuzuru’s face is worth it. So much for not being weak. 

“Really?” The excitement in his voice is almost tangible. 

“Yes, so just wait. Want me to find Effie so she can keep you warm?” 

“No, just need you.” The Japanese skater pulls him down on the couch next to him and moves the blanket so that is covering both of them, but the blanket isn’t quite large enough, so he has to lay both of his long legs over Javi’s. 

“So what’s the real reason you couldn’t sleep?” This has been weighing heavily on Javier’s mind. He knows that Yuzuru usually has no trouble sleeping, in fact he can pretty much sleep anywhere. He swears he has even witnessed him falling asleep while doing a quad toe, so he knows for a fact that something has to be bothering him. 

Yuzuru hesitates, but the hand Javi runs through his hair seems to reassure him, “I can’t stop thinking.” 

“About what?” Javi asks, but he thinks he already knows. 

“My programs are bad, if can’t land jumps then flow is messed up and whole thing ruined, all feeling lost.” Yuzuru scrunches his eyebrows together and he fiddles with the pieces of fuzz on the blanket covering their legs. “I can’t stop thinking about losing. I have dream every night about tripping in my step sequence, or falling out of a spin, or missing a triple axel, or-” 

“Shh, shh. Stop, Yuzuru. What you need to do is just stop thinking. Just work hard, and the rest will come. Agonizing over every detail isn’t going to get you anywhere.” 

“But-” Javier puts a hand over Yuzuru’s mouth, effectively keeping him quiet. 

“No. Stop thinking and just lay here with me, okay?” Javier feels the other’s body relax and finally removes his hand from his mouth, moving it to run through his hair. Javi can tell Yuzu is on the edge of sleep because of the way his eyelids are fluttering and his head is leaning into the hand running through his hair. 

Maybe the cake will burn, but Javi can’t make himself wake Yuzuru when his breaths are hitting the side of his neck and his body is the most relaxed he has seen it in weeks. But the timer on Javi’s phone has other ideas, ringing out loudly and jerking Yuzuru from his sleep. 

“Cake! You promise I frost it.” Yuzuru jolts up to his feet and turns back towards him, “Don’t think I forget.” 

“I said you could _help_ me frost it.” 

It ends with Yuzu getting the chocolate frosting all over both of their t-shirts, faces, and every and anywhere _but_ the cake, Yuzuru effectively breaking his world record of how many of Javier’s t-shirts he can ruin in one night. They end up only eating half a piece each, some ending up on the floor from when Yuzuru tried to feed him. They cover it in tinfoil and promise to eat it for breakfast or bring some to the cricket club break room for anyone who wants to eat it before morning practice, despite the fact that they know Brian will not be pleased (yet will most likely sneak a piece anyway). 

When they both finally head to bed it is well past 3 AM, but Yuzuru looks satisfied now that he has fulfilled his cake craving, Effie is lying on his stomach, and Javi has tucked the fluffy dark blue comforter around them both. 

-

Javier can’t remember the last time he was put in time out. It had to be when he was 10 years old and stuck gum in Laura’s hair after she teased him for being way shorter than her. He had felt quite guilty when she had to cut half of it off when the gum just wouldn’t come out, but she had totally deserved it. 

Now, this, this was a totally different situation. He never thought, at the old and bitter age of 23, that he would be sent for a 10 minute “time out” to “think about what he has done”. He still doesn’t know what he did wrong, even after several minutes of staring blankly at the wall. 

Okay, _maybe_ he was bothering a certain Japanese skater that was trying to get his choreography mastered to perfection. But it’s not like Yuzuru wasn’t laughing along with him and leaning into the touches he placed near his waist and on the small of his back. Brian had described Javi as being a distraction, but Yuzuru was the one who kept giving him those _Yuzuru looks_ , that are just an invitation for Javi to tickle his sides until there are unrestrained laughs escaping from him and tears on the edge of falling from his eyes. 

Javier is just a little bit annoyed that he was the only one put in time out. Yuzuru is just as guilty as him of being a “distraction”, if not more. He huffs and crosses his arms over his chest and sneakily turns back around from the spot Brian had placed him in, telling him to “face the wall and think about your choices”. 

He sees Yuzuru and Jeffrey talking animatedly about something, probably Yuzuru’s short program music, and notes the way Yuzu is moving his arms wildly in, Javier assumes, an attempt to convey what he is feeling regarding the new piece. Javi smiles and shakes his head, thinking of all those times where Yuzuru did the same thing to him, keeping him up into the late hours of the night with fragmented, overly excited sentences about his new music, costumes, or jumping passes. 

Even after all the long, sometimes tortuous seasons that both him and the Japanese have been through, the light that shines from every pore in Yuzuru’s being when talking about their shared sport still remains, almost getting brighter and brighter each time a new layer of Yuzuru is revealed to him. And after each layer is carefully peeled off by Javier, through the use of a soft touch or a patient smile, more and more Javier begins to realize how lucky he is to have gained a spot in Yuzuru Hanyu’s life. 

Even if it just got him put in time out. 

“Hey! Didn’t I tell you to face the wall? Do you want 10 more minutes added?” 

When Javi is still stuck staring at Yuzuru’s form at the other end of the rink, now attempting to map out the choreography Jeff has most likely started to show him, Brian just sighs and sits next to him on the bench. 

“You’ve really got it bad for him, don’t you?” 

“What?” Javi finally looks away and notices Brian, who has an expression on his face that speaks half exasperation half fondness. More like 75% exasperation, but the fondness is definitely in there somewhere. 

“You need to get yourself together, Javi. Concentrate on the skating, not Yuzuru.” 

“But he is the one-” 

“You are the one who can’t keep your hands to yourself. I don’t care if you are dating, but I do care if it starts to affect practices. I really don’t want to have to change around your schedules so you two don’t have any time on the ice together.” Javier shivers, “You don’t want that, do you?” 

“N-No, I don’t.” He thinks of never seeing Yuzuru in his practice outfits again and has suddenly lost the will to live on. Brian senses he has got through to him and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“Now, I am going to let you back on the ice, but if you go within 5 feet of you-know-who I am going to make you clean the break room fridge.” Visions of the 2 month old take out and unnameable spilled substances flash in his mind, and he automatically makes a promise to never touch Yuzuru again. 

Promises are forgotten about 20 minutes later when Yuzuru, finally done with his session with Jeff, skates over to him with that previously mentioned _Yuzuru look_ on his face. Javi swears he attempts to skate away, but debates in his head which is worse - an angry Yuzu or an angry Brian. He obviously ends up choosing Yuzuru when he stays put. Javi crosses his arms in front of his chest like that will somehow protect him. 

“Yuzuru, you know Brian will yell at me-” 

“Shh, Javi, do you see Brian anywhere?” Javi looks around and Brian is nowhere in sight. Javi lets out the breath he was holding in along with the tense set of his shoulders, but he still flinches when Yuzuru clasps his hands around the back of his neck. “Brian in meeting with Gabby. He won’t see.” 

Javi still continues to look around nervously before finally unfolding his arms then resting his hands on Yuzuru’s hips, “How is the choreography turning out?” 

Yuzuru’s face automatically lights up at the question, and Javier doesn’t even remember Brian’s threats at this point, blinded by the bright and open expression on his boyfriend’s face, “Great! Jeff says adding another quad to short program won’t mess with flow, like I kept telling you I was worried about.” 

Now Javi will finally stop hearing Yuzuru’s anxious mumblings, “I’m glad. Have you two finally agreed on music?” 

“I think so. It a toss between a couple Chopin selections.” 

“I’m excited to see it completed.” 

“You should be scared since I going to beat you with it.” Javier scowls and pinches the skin on Yuzuru’s waist, causing suffocating giggles to escape and a failed attempt at running from Javier’s arms which are now trapping him. 

“ _Y-Yameru_! Stop! Just joking! _Black Betty_ is gonna win everything!” 

Javier stops at that, but still keeps a threatening look in his eyes and doesn’t release the slimmer boy from his hold, “Do you mean it?” 

“Yes, yes I mean it.” Yuzuru skates closer until his mouth is right next to Javier’s ear, “Plus, you look really good in all black costume.” Javier visibly shivers, and thinks that his body temperature might be hot enough to melt the ice between them. He certainly feels like he is standing in a puddle instead of solid ice when Yuzuru’s breath keeps hitting the shell of his ear. 

“FERNANDEZ! What did I tell you about staying away from Yuzuru!” 

“Uh, you told me,” A wide-eyed Javier removes his arms from around Yuzuru, who is visibly holding back his laughter, “not to touch him during practice. But Brian, Yuzu started it-” 

“Guess you are staying after to clean out the fridge.” The other skater finally breaks at that, soft chuckles pouring out of him along with an unattractive snort, but they soon stop after he hears the “And you’re helping him, Hanyu, I saw you set him up”. 

Javier winces at the punch thrown to his arm, “What did _I_ do? This is your fault! You said Brian was in a meeting!” Yuzuru just huffs and skates away, throwing a drama filled triple axel at the other side of the rink. 

The Spaniard rolls his eyes. Now he has both Brian and Yuzuru mad at him. 

-

“Are you seriously still angry at me?” Javi asks when Yuzu enters the cricket club break room without even looking at him, going to the kitchen area and opening the fridge to inspect all of the work they have in store for them this afternoon. “You know this is all your fault, right? If you wouldn’t have tempted me none of this would have happened.” 

When Yuzu still doesn’t even look at him he lets out an extremely pathetic sounding sigh and finally gets up from the couch and marches over to the fridge to attempt to look inside. A hand automatically goes to cover up his nose and mouth when he gets a whiff of the fridge. Even from the 2 feet he is away from it it smells completely disgusting. How could they all let it get this bad? 

“You do half I do half?” 

“Deal.” This is the first and only word Yuzu speaks to Javi for the duration of their hour long cleaning venture. He does play music from his phone, though, which Javi is quite thankful for once the silence mixed with the toxic fumes coming from the fridge start to make him nauseous. The music is a welcome distraction. Yuzuru seems to forget about the silent treatment somewhat when he starts singing along to the soft Japanese rock coming from his phone. 

When they are finally done, both exhausted from the profuse scrubbing, Yuzu still hasn’t talked to him. This is getting kind of ridiculous. It’s not like Javi was the only one doing the touching, and Yuzu has got to admit that this is about 75% his fault this time. 

“Well, guess I’m just gonna head home. Alone. And eat that full carton of ice cream I bought last night.” Yuzu’s head perks up at that and his eyes meet his, if only for a millisecond. “I don’t know how I am gonna eat it all by myself, but I guess I will manage it somehow.” Yuzuru’s mouth opens and closes a few times like he is about to cave and finally say something, but he keeps his pride and crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Maybe I will just call up Nam and see if he wants to share with me.” 

“No! That my ice cream, he can’t have any!” 

“Ah, but if you are mad at me how are you going to eat it?” 

“I’m not mad at you!” 

“Then why won’t you talk to me, or even look at me for that matter?” 

“Because,” Yuzuru pauses and looks down at his shoes, “because, if I talk to you then I want to touch you, and even if I look at you I want to touch you, and if touch you then we would never have finished cleaning out fridge and then Brian would get even more angry and-” 

“Yuzu,” Javi is now laughing so hard that his stomach hurts, and he has to wipe away wetness from the corner of his eyes, “that’s why you weren’t talking to me? And here I was thinking I did something terrible.” 

“No, you not terrible.” Yuzu shakes his head back and forth rapidly, “Just distracting.” 

“Says _you_ , Mr. Skin-tight-Under Armour.” 

“Didn’t hear you complain about skin tight Under Armour earlier,” The boy raises the corner of his lips into a teasing smirk and pokes Javi in the chest, “in fact you seemed to like a lot.”

“Yes, that’s my problem. I like it too much. I like _you_ too much.” 

“I should really go back to not talking to you. You look better when not saying gross things like this.” 

“Then how about you shut me up then, oh great Prince Hanyu of Japan?” Yuzu does, pulling him closer by the curls on the back of his head and crashing their lips together without hesitation, like he’s been waiting to do just that all day. So much for not distracting each other. But they honestly deserve this after the monstrosity that was cleaning out the fridge. 

Javier is quickly deterred of thoughts of the fridge by Yuzuru’s insistent lips and tongue and teeth and also by the warm hand going up his shirt to explore the skin underneath. Javi finally remembers he also has hands and moves to rest them on Yuzuru’s waist where the previously mentioned sinful Under Armour shirt had already been riding up, exposing planes of smooth skin that Javi now gives a light squeeze to. 

Yuzuru pushes Javi down onto the couch placed conveniently right behind his legs and automatically straddles his lap, thighs on either side of his own and hips meeting his just enough to drive Javier absolutely insane. Insane enough to pull Yuzu even closer and closer until there is absolutely no space between them left. 

“We can’t do this here, anyone could walk in.” Yuzu says, yet he doesn’t make any move to get off Javi’s lap, or even remove his mouth from his. 

“No, we can’t.” Javi kisses Yuzu between words and squeezes his sides until the other is squirming with suffocating laughs. 

“Okay, okay, I get off you now, stop tickling me.” Yuzuru attempts to get away but Javi’s hands are still tightly securing him in place. “You know I can’t get off if you don’t let go.” 

The Spaniard sighs and even pouts his lips a little bit, “I know.” The boy on top of him lets out a breathy laugh and kisses him one last time before finally standing up, albeit a bit wobbly on his feet, and holds out a hand, “Don’t worry, we be home soon.”

“And then what?” Javi raises his eyebrows and looks at the other expectantly. 

“And then we eat ice cream and sleep since we have early morning practice tomorrow.” 

“I hate you.” Javi says, but he knows that Yuzuru is right. 

-

“Yuzu, are you ever going to buy a suit that fits?” Javier says, while attempting to fix his hopeless boyfriend’s black suit jacket that just won't stop falling from his slender shoulders. 

Yuzuru blinks innocently at him, “What do you mean? You not like my clothes?” Javier eyes the sleeves that extend way past his fingertips paired with the pants that look at least two sizes too big. Not to mention that horrendous neck tie. He doesn't know if he is even capable of lying to Yuzuru about this, no matter how much he might love him. 

Javi fixes the suit jacket that has fallen off Yuzu’s shoulder yet again. “I mean… don't you think… it’s a little… too big for you?” 

Yuzuru tilts his head to the side and pouts his lips a little bit, “Is it?” 

“Actually, I got you something. Wait here.” Javier wasn't sure when or at what occasion to give this to Yuzu, but this seems like the perfect opportunity, and who is Javi kidding, he doesn't want to be seen with this mess of a man at the GPF banquet where all of their friends will be. This is the first banquet they will be attending together as official boyfriends, and Javi has been looking forward to it for weeks. After all the stress of the GPF assignments and inevitable separation from Yuzuru he is excited to just spend time with him and their mutual friends. 

“Here.” Yuzuru’s eyes light up at the site of the box wrapped in floral wrapping paper and tied with a pink ribbon. “Before you try and make fun of me, Laura insisted on wrapping it.” He won’t tell Yuzu that he had actually asked for her help after several failed attempts at making the gift look at least somewhat presentable. 

“Why you give me gift? Birthday was week ago, and you already give me lots.” Yuzu’s chin points to the charm bracelet on his wrist. Javi shrugs and just tells his boyfriend to _open his gift already and stop asking so many questions_. Yuzu does, but it takes him a good while since he had to carefully untie the ribbon and remove the paper without tearing it. “I want to save it. So pretty.” 

When he finally, after what seems like hours, opens the box, he lets out a gasp and gently removes the contents. “Oh, Javi, these are really beautiful! Thank you!” Only after placing the articles of clothing on the bed behind them does he give Javi a kiss of gratitude. Javi kisses back through his laughs. 

“C’mon, try it on, we need to see if it fits.” 

“Only if you help.” Yuzu jokes with a raise of his eyebrows. But Javi is rearing to get that monstrosity of a suit off his boyfriend’s wonderful body, so he basically rips the suit jacket off his shoulders (which isn’t that hard to do, what with it already falling off anyway), and starts on unlacing the tie. “Woah, you excited, Javi? Want me shirtless in your hotel room that bad?” Javi ignores him and works on unbuttoning the white dress shirt. 

“More like I want to see you in a fitting suit for once.” Javi mumbles this part in Spanish. 

When the new black suit is finally on Yuzuru’s body, after much struggling and giggling when Javi basically tore the others baggy slacks off, Javi has to admit that Yuzuru looks breathtaking. Not that he doesn't always, but the pants do wonders for those legs. And other parts of him, too, which Javi has to tear his eyes off of before he has a full on nose bleed. He can't risk getting any blood on this amazing piece of art standing in front of him. 

“How do I look?” Yuzuru asks, hands running down his thighs, “Aren't these pants little too tight?” 

“No! No, they are perfect.” No way is he letting Yuzu change out of those pants, “You look perfect. Now let me do your hair.” 

When the final product is done, Javi just has to stand back and admire his work. Yuzuru’s hair is put up with just a little bit of gel, and Javi is struck by the beauty of his boyfriend’s face without bangs shielding his forehead. “Like what you see?” 

“Ugh, I-” Yuzuru knows that Javi likes what he sees, that little tease, there is a knowing smirk and a glint of mirth lighting his eyes when he closes the space between them and pats Javi gently on the head. 

“Thanks again for new clothes, Javi.” And then they are kissing, deep and long, and Javi can’t help but place his hands on the small of Yuzu’s back and pull him even closer. “Now we must go to banquet. We already late since you insist on playing with my hair for so long.” Javi audibly whines at that. He wishes they could just stay in the hotel room all night, even though he knows they both need to socialize more often. 

He lets out a long sigh and looks Yuzu’s frame up and down one last time, then holds out his hand for Yuzu to take, “Okay, let's go.” 

Javi soon regrets being responsible for making Yuzuru change clothes. And regrets doing his hair even more. About 10 minutes into the banquet he notices the stares, at around 20 minutes in random people begin to paw at Yuzuru even more so than usual. The boy doesn't even notice, and just keeps smiling that blinding Yuzuru smile that just makes his admirers grow and grow throughout the night until he is inevitably separated from Javi. 

Javi is now sitting alone at a table near the corner, third glass of champagne grasped in his hands and shoulders hunched. So much for a night out with Yuzu. Sometimes Javi forgets just how popular his boyfriend is. 

“Javi, why are you sulking in the corner? Usually you'd be on the dance floor by now.” Oh great, now Maia has come to torture him. This night just gets worse and worse. “Did your boy toy abandon you already?” 

Javi can't even argue, since that's exactly what happened. But what he does say is, “He's not my _boy toy_.” 

“Well he sure looks like one tonight. That suit does wonders for him, really. Did he finally realize his sleeves were basically touching the floor?” 

Javi raises his chin proudly at that, “I dressed him tonight, actually.” 

Maia rolls her eyes so hard Javi is surprised they don't fall out, “Of course you did. You are so whipped you probably even tied his shoes for him.” Scenes from 30 minutes ago of Javi on one knee tying Yuzu’s shoe laces after he complained about his back hurting flash in his mind. No way is he telling Maia about this, though. She will spread it around the entire international skating union and then some. Maybe even use it as a clickbait title for their next vlog. Shivers rack his body just thinking about it. 

“N-No, of course I didn't.” 

“Oh my god. You totally did, didn't you?” Javier curses the guilt in his voice for being so readable. “I can’t believe this, I’ve got to tell Alex-”

“Please, _please_ , don't.” Javier grabs her arm when she tries to leave and looks at her with the most pitiful stare, “My last scrap of dignity will be diminished. You can't do this to me.” 

“Alright, but I won't keep my mouth shut for free. I want all the juicy details about your newfound relationship.” Javi would almost take public humiliation over this, but then thinks of Alex’s taunting that would be ceaseless and let's Maia continue. “Are you treating Yuzu well? I swear to god if you hurt him-” 

“I won't hurt him, I promise.” 

Maia still glares threateningly at him, “So, is he a good kisser? Have you guys even kissed yet? What about-” 

“Maia! Of course we've _kissed_ , wait a second, this is _none_ of your business.” Maia starts calling for Alex again and Javi caves, “Okay, okay! Yes, Yuzu is a great kisser!” 

“I am?” Javi feels familiar hands grasp his biceps from behind and freezes, “That good to know.” Maia snorts at the look of pure mortification on Javi’s face, and Yuzu can't help but smile and place a relatively discreet kiss on the bottom of his stubble lined jaw. “And don't worry, I won't tell anyone you tied my shoes earlier if you that ashamed of it.” 

“Oh god, you heard that too? You little-” 

“Little what?” Yuzu basically breathes this part into Javi’s ear, and Javi has to force himself not to evaporate into his chair and then through the floorboards. Yuzuru just laughs and sits in the chair beside him, but keeps one hand on Javi’s thigh under the table. “Sorry for abandon you. You know how crazy these things can get.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Javi lightly kisses Yuzu’s exposed forehead and then moves down to kiss his nose, which scrunches up cutely at the suprise contact, “It’s okay, love.” 

“Oh dear god, I think I’m gonna throw up.” Javi had honestly forgotten Maia was even sitting at the table with them. 

“You were one just asking about our sex life.” Javi snorts at this and buries his face in Yuzu’s shoulder as if that might shield him from Maia’s very evil glare. 

“I didn't ask about your sex life,” Yuzu raises an eyebrow at her, “ _yet_.” 

“Who's sex life are we asking about?” Alex appears like a horseman of the apocalypse and takes a seat at the now nearly full table. 

“Yuzu and Javi’s, of course. I was just about to interrogate the Spanish one on the details, but I hink you might be able to do an even better job than me, big brother.” Oh no, they've got to get out of here, and fast. One of them was manageable, but get caught cornered by both of the siblings and there was no getting out unscathed. Even their interrogations were seemingly perfectly choreographed. 

“Actually, Brian has been looking for you all night, Javi. We really need to get going before he go crazy.” Javi knew there was a reason he was dating Yuzu. “Sorry guys, we really must go.” He throws in one of those patented Yuzuru puppy dog faces and bows a few times for good measure. The Shibsibs are left powerless. And they call _Javi_ whipped, at least he isn’t susceptible to the puppy eyes anymore. 

“Great job getting us out of there, babe.” Yuzu had dragged him out to the hallway and they are now making their way into the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. “I don’t think I could’ve survived without you.” 

“Could you ever survive without me?” Javi hums at this and links his arm through Yuzu’s, then leans down to rest his chin on the others shoulder. 

“No, I couldn’t. You are like oxygen for me. I will suffocate without you.” 

“What I say about saying gross things like that.” But he still hides a smile behind a hand and Javi swears he sees a light pink blush painting his cheeks when Javi moves forward to bury his laughs into the side of his neck. 

But Javi really wasn’t lying when he said he can’t survive without Yuzu, especially now that he has gotten to know so many intricate details about the other. Like the fact that he can’t sleep without a window open, no matter how cold it may be outside, or the fact that he blinks really fast when he is feeling especially nervous. It is these details, these small, seemingly insignificant ones that push Javi further and further towards completely giving his everything to Yuzuru Hanyu. 

And when Yuzuru pulls him into the elevator and gives him a deep kiss once the doors slide shut, he thinks he would give up his everything, gladly, if it meant having more moments like these ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did any of this even make sense (probably not). i blame trashxel for the suit scene, thanks for ruining me pals. anyway, please leave comments i am desperate for any sort of feedback! maybe i will even add more chapters of stupid scenes i come up with, ya never know :,)

**Author's Note:**

> i hope this made at least a little bit of sense rip. if you couldnt tell i didnt really try to make this completely line up with real events, i will leave that to the much more talented authors! it kinda just melted into a big pile of fluff by the end and im sorry (? not really though). please leave comments if you enjoyed this even a little bit, im desperate for feedback!!! 
> 
> epilogue (+ extra scenes of them being the cutest figure skating Power Couple? idk) coming soon because i cant get over yuzuvier, ill never be over yuzuvier, lets all just be honest with ourselves here.
> 
> oh! and feel free to follow me on twitter or tumblr (im @emergencyquad on both)


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